Means and techniques for silencing solenoid-operated devices



W. A. RAY ETA]- MEANS AND TECHNIQUES FOR SILENCING April 20, 1965SOLENOID-OPERATED DEVICES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 17. l96l FIG.5.

E M w m E YWM N ABM R em m wV L M M N mm w R H WL April 20, 1965 w. A.RAY ETAL 3,179,859

MEANS AND TECHNIQUES FOR SILENGING' SOLENOID-OPERATED DEVICES Filed July17. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I47 .II A l2 7 mm FIG.8.

WILLIAM A. RAY LAURENCE C. BIGGLE INVENTORS.

BY g

AT TO RN EYS.

Apnl 20, 1965 w. A. RAY ETAL 3, 7

MEANS AND TECHNIQUES FOR SILENCING SOLENOID-OPERATED DEVICES Filed July17. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. IO.

FIG.H.

WILLIAM A.RAY LAURENCE C. BIGGLE INVENTORS.

ATTOR N EYS.

United States Patent MEANS AND TECHNIQUES FOR SILENCINGSULENUiD-OFERATED DEVICES William A. Ray, North Hollywood, and LaurenceC.

Biggie, Altadena, Califl, assignors to international Telephone andTelegraph Corporation, Baltimore, MM, a corporation of Maryland FiledJuly 17, 1961, Ser. No. 124,528

8 Claims. (Cl. 317-185) The present invention relates to means andtechniques for silencing solenoid-operated devices, particularly relays,gas valves and the like.

Briefly, the present invention is concerned with the reduction orsubstantial elimination of so-called clicking noises when the solenoidarmature or plunger is moved into engagement with a pole piece or stopupon energizing of the solenoid. The same means are also instrumental inreducing other noises which would otherwise be transferred to the outerhousing, usually the socalled cover member of the device. In theparticular forms of the invention disclosed herein there is somesound-absorbing or deadening material interposed between the solenoidmagnetic structure and its cover member so as to minimize orsubstantially eliminate the transfer of acoustical energy from suchmagnetic structure to the cover member by either attenuating suchacoustical energy or preventing the transfer of such energy from themagnetic structure to the cover member. Using such means, the so-calledsounding board effect of the cover member is reduced or substantiallyeliminated.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provideconstructions which function to produce the desired results indicatedabove.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide a constructionof this character wherein both the magnetic structure and itscooperating armature are both resilient supported and particularly sowhen the same is incorporated in a solenoid-operated gas valve asdisclosed herein.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provideconstructions of this character involving the use of a massive memberbetween the magnetic structure and the cover, such member and coverbeing resiliently supported with respect to each other so that the fulleffect of the massive member may be realized to absorb such clickingnoises which are considered essentially to be comprised of a series ofhigh frequency oscillations.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provideconstructions of this character involving the use of packing materialbetween the solenoid and its cover.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. This inventionitself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood byreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is generally a sectional view through a solenoid-operated gasvalve taken substantially along the line 1-1 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 22 in FIGURE1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view illustrating details of the bracketincorporated in the valve shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2.

BJFNES? Patented Apr. 20, 1965 FIGURE 4 is generally a sectional Viewtaken along the line 44 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view illustrating one of the resilient washersinterposed between the bracket shown in FIGURE 3 and the magneticstructure of the valve shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is generally a sectional view taken along the line 66 in FIGURE2.

FIGURE 7 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of amodified form of construction also embodying features of the presentinvention.

FIGURES 8 and 9 are also combined sectional and elevational views ofother gas valves embodying features of the present invention.

FIGURES 10 and 11 illustrate another form of the invention, FIGURE 10being generally a longitudinal sectional view and FIGURE 11 being aperspective view showing one of the elements illustrated in FIGURE 10.

Referring to the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1-6 bothinclusive, the solenoid-operated gas valve includes a conventional valvebody 10 having inlet and outlet openings (not shown) between which i anangled partition 12 which defines a circular valve seat 14 at its upperend.

The movable valve member 15 which cooperates with the seat 14 is in theform of a disc of gasket material which is carriedon the flexiblediaphragm member 16 together with the armature disc 17 on the oppositeside of the diaphragm, and an apertured metal disc 18 sandwiched betweenthe valve member 15 and diaphragm 16, these parts being maintained intheir sandwiched relationship shown by rivet 20 which passes in turnthrough washer 21, valve member 15, disc 18, diaphragm 16 and is affixedto the armature disc or plate 17.

The peripheral edge of the diaphragm 16 is clamped between the valvebody 10 and the cover member 24 which is preferably a heavy walledmassive body of, for example, cast iron. Preferably this cover member 24is resiliently supported on the valve body 10 using a resilientfastening connection between the cover 24 and valve body It) asexemplified in FiGURE 4 but in other cases the cover 24 may be bolteddirectly to the valve body ltl without any resilient means interposedtherebetween.

This cover member 24 resiliently supports the bracket member 26 usingthe construction shown in FIGURE 4; and in turn, the bracket 26 hassecured thereto the mag netizable structure which comprises the stack offlat, generally E-shaped laminations 30 and coil 32. Each of theselaminations comprises two outer legs 34 and 36 which are engageable bythe attracted armature 17 and the center leg 38 which projects partiallyinto the confines of the coil 32. The coil 32 is secured to the stack oflaminations 30 using conventional means as, for example, spring elements(not shown) acting between the stack of laminations 3t! and the coilform on which the coil 32 is mounted.

The stack of laminati-ons 3% is secured to the downwardly extending legsof bracket 26 by bolts or rivets 40 passing through aligned aperturedportions of the same. The upper portion of bracket 26 is secured to thecover 24 by the two bolts 42 which are threaded into enlarged bosses inthe cover member 24 as shown in FIGURE 4 with vibration-absorbingwashers 44- interposed between the bracket 26 and cover member 24. Thesesound-absorbing or resilient means 44 may take other forms and shapesand may be of the conventional types used in shock-mounting equipment;and in general, it is understood that such means 44 comprises a meansfor absorbing shock forces or other vibrational forces or other movementof the magnetizable structure so that the cover member 24 is renderedrelatively insensitive thereto.

This bracket member 26 may also have integrally formed therewith a thirdleg 26A on which is afiixed as, for example, by gluing a felt filter pad50 serving as a filter element for the flow of gas from the inlet sideof the valve and through the gas channel 24A in a portion of the covermember 24. This is for the purpose of subjecting both sides of thediaphragm 16 to the same gas pressure so that, in general, operation ofthe solenoid is not affected by gas pressure.

The cover 24 also carries a pair of insulated electrical terminals 52which sealingly extend through the upper wall of the cover 24 and whichare connected to opposite terminals of coil 32 for energizing the same.

In operation of the device shown in FIGURES 1-6, energization of thecoil 32 results in movement of the armature plate or disc 17 intoengagement with the legs 34 and 36 of the magnetizable structure againstthe action of the diaphragm 16 as well as against the action of theprestressed coil compression spring 54 which has one end thereofrecessed in the plate 17 and the other one of its ends bearing againstthe center magnetizable leg 30. It is noted that a cylindricalprojection 54A suitably fastened as, for example, by riveting to thestack of laminations 30 extends partially within the confines of thespring 54 to retain the same in center position.

When the armature plate 17 contacts the pole pieces 34, 36, noise isdeveloped and it is considered that such noise, while it may sound inthe nature of a clock, actually predominates in a series of highfrequency oscillations. Be that as it may, the shock and noise producedthereby is absorbed or attenuated largely in the shockabsorbing orsound-attenuating means 44 so that the sound which otherwise would betransferred to the cover 24 is prevented from reaching cover 24. It willalso be noted that the diaphragm member 16 which connects the armature17 to the cover 24, being resilient, prevents or attenuates the passageof acoustical energy along that particular path. Another contributingfactor is the massiveness of the cover member 24 which may or may not beresiliently supported on the valve body and the cover 24, because of itsmassiveness, contributes also to the attenuation of high frequencyvibrations which may be transferred thereto.

The modified arrangements shown in FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 involve the use ofa sound-deadening or absorbing material interposed between the cover andthe magnetic structure, such material being in the form of steel wool,aluminum mesh or any other similar metallic fibrous materials. Ametallic fibrous material is preferred since it will act as a means forconducting heat away from the coil to the cover but in such case it ispreferred that intermediate portions of the fiber be coated with somesound-deadening material such as that used in so-called undercoating ofautomobiles. In those instances where the transfer of heat from the coilto the surroundings is not a problem, the fibrous material may benon-metallic such as a loose mass of felt fibers.

Certain constructional features of the solenoid-operated gas valvesshown in FIGURES 7 and 8 are also described in the copending applicationof William A. Ray, one of the applicants herein, Serial No. 670,606, nowUS. Patent 2,998,552, patented August 29, 1961. The magnetic structuresin the valves shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 herein are the same andcorrespond to the disclo sure of the magnetic structure in said pendingapplication Serial No. 670,606.

In FIGURES 7 and 8 the plunger 102 is secured to the diaphragm 103 by ariveted extension 104 thereof with the washer 105, valve member 106,diaphragm 103 and magnetizable plate 107 sandwiched between the rivetedhead 104 and armature 102 in that order. The movable valve member 106cooperates with the raised valve seat 108 of the valve body 109 havingan inlet 110, and outlet 111. The valve member 106 is normally pressedagainst the valve seat 108 by the combined action of the diaphragm 103and the spring member 112 acting between the plate 107 and the stepped,flanged member 114. The peripheral edge of the diaphragm 103 togetherwith a gasket member 115 is clamped between the valve body 109 and aflanged portion of the member 114. The diaphragm 103 is held in thisclamped condition by bolts (not shown) passing through the member 114and threaded into the valve body 109. A tube 117 has its lower endaflixed as, for example, by welding or brazing to this member 114 andhas its upper end flared at 117A for fastening purposes. A pole piece120 extends into the confines of coil 121 and is fastened to the flaredtube 117A by machine screw 122 which passes through aligned aperturedportions of a lock washer 124 and a magnetizable plate 125 and isthreaded into the pole piece 120 so as to draw the same up against theflared portion 117A to secure this particular structure. It is notedthat a generally annular cover member 127 is also retained by themachine screw 122 and has its lower peripheral edge bearing on anannular phenolic hard rubber ring 128 which is seated on a steppedportion of the member 114. This cover member 127 thus encloses the coil121 which has its coil form bearing against the interior of the covermember 127 at its upper end and the lower end of the coil form engagesthe member 114 through a resilient washer 130 to support the coil formin position.

This inner cover member 127 has an apertured portion 127A through whichthe coil leads 121A and 121B pass.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention thereis provided an outer cover member (FIGURE 7) and cover member 142(FIGURE 8) which overlie the inner cover member 127 to provide arelatively large space therebetween which is filled with somesound-absorbing or attenuating material of the character previouslydescribed to prevent or substantially eliminate the transfer of soundfrom the inner magnetic structure to the outer cover member 140 or 142.

In FIGURE 7 this outer cover member 140 may be of sheet metal having anout-turned lower edge which bears on the phenolic hard rubber ring 128;and is also provided with an apertured portion receiving grommet 145through which the coil leads 121A, 121B pass. The material 147 offibrous nature between the inner and outer cover members 127 and 140 isof the character previously described.

In FIGURE 8 the outer cover member 142 is a massive body of, forexample, thick-walled cast iron and is provided with an internallythreaded boss 142A to receive a pipe conduit fitting. The lowerperipheral edge of the cover 142 encircles the phenolic hard rubber ring128 and may be secured thereto by small screws, the same being true ofthe cover 140 in FIGURE 7 which may likewise be secured to thecorresponding ring 128 by small screws.

In operation of the devices shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, energization ofthe coil 121 results in the armature or plunger 102 contacting its polepiece 120 in which case there would be an objectionable click noise ifthe outer cover member 140 or 142, as the case may be, the fibrousmaterial 147 and sound-dampening ring 128 were not provided. It ispreferred that the outer cover be of massive thick-wall construction asshown in FIGURE 8 since the same contributes to attenuating highfrequency noises which may possibly pass through the sound-deadeningmaterial 147.

In the arrangement shown in FIGURE 9 the magnetic structure isessentially the same as that described in con-.

nection with FIGURES 7 and 8 but in this case the tube 217(corresponding to the tube 117 in FIGURE 8) is afiixed to anintermediate portion of the pole piece 120 and a more massive thick-wallinner cover member 227 (corresponding to the inner cover member 127 inFIG- URES 7 and 8) is secured to the pole piece 120 by fastening screw122. The coil 121 with its coil form is again resiliently mountedbetween the lower member 114 and the inner cover 227. In this case thelower annular flanged portion of cover 227 bears against sound-absorbingmaterial 228 in the nature of a tightly-packed aluminum mesh which mayhave the strands thereof coated with some insulating sound-deadeningmaterial such as that used in the undercoating of automobiles. Also inthis case the outer cover member 240, corresponding to the cover member140 in FIGURE 7, encircles the sounddeadening material 228 and may bespaced from the adjacent stepped flange member 114 or may be securedthereto by small screws (not shown). Any of the materials mentionedabove of fibrous nature may be interposed between the inner cover member227 and the outer cover member 240 and preferably in FIGURE 9 thismaterial is a medium-packed aluminum mesh coated with somesound-deadening material.

In comparing the arrangements shown in FIGURES 8 and 9, it will beobserved that one notable distinction is that whereas in FIGURE 8 themassive cover 142 is the outer cover, in FIGURE 9 the massive cover 227is the inner cover member. In other words, the inner and outer covermembers are essentially interposed.

In the construction shown in FIGURES 10 and 11 there is disclosed avalve body 300 having an inlet and outlet port as described above inconnection with the previous figures and in such valve body 300 is thevalve seat 301 engageable with the movable closure member 302 which ismounted on the flexible diaphragm 303 which has its marginal edgesandwiched and clamped between the valve body 300 and the valve covermember 304, such clamping being accomplished by the bolts 305 passingthrough the cover member 304 and threaded into the valve body 300.

MOre specifically, the closure member 302, which is in the form of anannular disc, is mounted on the diaphragm 303 by providing the armature307 with a stud 307A which passes through apertured portions of thediaphragm 303 and closure member 302 and washer 308 and which then hasits end upset as, for example, to provide a rivet-type connection.

This armature 307 cooperates magnetically with the centrally locatedpole piece 310, which is in the form of a rod, and also with themagnetizable core member 311 which, as illustrated in FIGURE 11, isgenerally cupshaped with two side walls removed therefrom to define abase portion 312 and two side wall portions 313 and 314, the baseportion 312 being apertured to allow passage of the fastening screw 315which is threaded into the cen tral magnetizable pole piece 310. Thisassembly may be locked by incorporating the lock washer 316 between thehead of screw 315 and the base portion 312. The solenoid coil 317 woundon spool 318 surrounds the pole piece 310 and is generally snugly fittedwithin the core member 311, such spool 318 having ears 319 integrallyformed thereon to fit between the side wall portions 313 and 314 of thecore member 311 so that the same is prevented from turning.

A spacer washer 320 of resilient material is interposed between the baseportion of the core member 311 and the cover member 304 to absorb orattenuate shock or impact forces occurring during operation of thesolenoid valve.

An epoxy resin 321 is molded within the space between the core member311 and adjacent side walls of the cover member 304 also forsound-deadening purposes and for supporting a shading ring structure 322which is generally cup-shaped having that end which is embedded in theepoxy 321 bent as shown to better secure the shading ring structure 322in the epoxy. The base portion of the shading ring structure 322 iscircularly apertured to allow the central pole piece 310 to extendtherethrough and is also provided with a plurality of spaced andradially extending slits 322A. This shading ring structure 322 alsoengages a portion of the coil form 318 to maintain the coil form and, ofcourse, the coil 317 in place. A coil compression spring 323 has one ofits ends bearing against the shading coil structure 322 and the otherone of its ends bearing against the armature 307 to normally maintainthe valve 301, 302 in its closed position as illustrated.

The leads of coil 317 are connected as, for example, by soldering, tobolts 324, 325. These electrical connecting .bolts 324- and 325 serve tosecure the terminal board 326 on the cover member 304 as well as tofasten the terminals or binding posts 327 and 328. It will be seen thatthese bolts 324 and 325 have their lower ends seated against a generallyannular ring-shaped member 329 of insulating material which is formed toproject partially up into the apertured portions 304A and 304B of thecover member 304. Sound-deadening or absorbing washers 330 and 331 areinterposed between the terminal board 326 and the insulating member 329.

Using this construction shown in FIGURES 10 and 11, it will be seen thatthis construction also incorporates sound-deadening or attenuatingmaterial which minimizes greatly the transmission of those highfrequency components previously mentioned from the magnetizable elementto the cover member 304, this being accomplished by incorporation of thesound-deadening washer 320 between the core member 311 and the cover andthe epoxy resin 321 which is interposed between the cover and the corestructure and which prevents substantial noises from being transmittedthrough the shading coil structure 322 to the cover member.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appendedclaims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. A sound-deadened solenoid comprising a magnetic structure; anarmature attracted by said structure; stop means engaged by saidarmature when said magnetic structure is energized and producing noiseupon engagement between the armature and stop means; a cover membersurrounding said structure; and sound-deadening material interposedbetween said stop means and said cover member and substantiallypreventing the transfer of said noise from said stop means to saidcover, said cover member comprising an outer cover member; a secondinner cover member inside of said outer cover member; said inner covermember also surrounding said mag netic structure and said stop means;and said sound-absorbing material being disposed between said inner andouter cover members.

2. A solenoid as set forth in claim 1 in which said inner cover membercomprises the more massive thickwalled cover member.

3. A solenoid as set forth in claim 1 in which said outer cover membercomprises the more massive thick-walled cover member.

4. A solenoid as set forth in claim 1 in which said sound-absorbingmaterial comprises fibrous material.

5. A solenoid as set forth in claim 4 in which said fibrous material ismetallic for heat transfer to the outer cover member.

6. A solenoid as set forth in claim 5 in which said metal fibers arecoated with a sound-deadening material.

7. A sound-deadened solenoid comprising a magnetic structure; anarmature attracted by said structure; said magnetic structureincorporating a pole piece engaged by said armature; a cover membersurrounding said magnetic structure; sound-deading material interposedbetween said pole piece and said cover member; a shading ring structuresurrounding said pile piece; sound-deadening material between saidmagnetic structure and said cover member; said shading ring structurebeing secured in the last-mentioned sound-deadening material.

8. A solenoid construction as set forth in claim 7 in which a slottedcup-shaped core member partially surrounds said magnetic structure andis engageable with said armature, and the last-mentioned sound-deadeningmaterial is interposed between said cup-shaped core member and saidcover member.

Hartman 336100 McNairy 317195 Wood 181-33 Garner et a1. 317195Kirkpatrick 336100 Ray 317-186 Petrus 317-195 Ray 317184 JOHN F. BURNS,Primary Examiner.

1. A SOUND-DEADENED SOLENOID COMPRISING A MAGNETIC STRUCTURE; ANARMATURE ATTRACTED BY SAID STRUCTURE; STOP MEANS ENGAGED BY SAIDARMATURE WHEN SAID MAGNETIC STRUCTURE IS ENERGIZED AND PRODUCTING NOISEUPON ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN THE ARMATURE AND STOP MEANS; A COVER MEMBERSURROUNDING SAID STRUCTURE; AND SOUND-DEADENING MATERIAL INTERPOSEDBETWEEN SAID STOP MEANS AND SAID COVER MEMBER AND SUBSTANTIALLYPREVENTING THE TRANSFER OF SAID NOISE FROM SAID STOP MEANS TO SAIDCOVER, SAID COVER MEMBER COMPRISING AN OUTER COVER MEMBER; A SECONDINNER COVER MEMBER INSIDE OF SAID OUTER COVER MEMBER; SAID INNER COVERMEMBER ALSO SURROUNDING SAID MAGNETIC STRUCTURE AND SAID STOP MEANS; ANDSAID SOUND-ABSORBING MATERIAL BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID INNER ANDOUTER COVER MEMBER.